I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to insulated glass blinds and shades and more particularly to actuators for such blinds and shades.
II. Description of the Art
Insulated glass (IG) blinds and shades are well known in the art. IG blinds are enclosed within an IG assembly and include a plurality of slats, cords for raising and lowering the slats, a first operator for moving the cords, and/or a second operator for tilting the slats. Each operator slides on the exterior surface of the glass and is magnetically connected to a follower within the insulated glass. The operators remain in position because of the magnetic force. An example of these magnetic operators may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,845 to Jelic
It is not uncommon for the operator to break away from the magnetic attraction of the follower. The magnetic retention can be lost if the user jerks the operator or attempts to move the operator beyond its designed travel path. If the operator becomes separated from the follower, then the follower is free to move independently of the operator, for example permitting the blinds to drop quickly to the closed position. When the blinds drop closed, the cords can become tangled making the blinds completely or partially inoperable. Even if the cords do not tangle, the force of the drop may wedge the follower so that the operator is unable to move the follower, preventing the opening or closing of the blinds.
IG blind assemblies contain many pieces, which can make assembly difficult. One such part allows the cords to change from the vertical direction associated with the follower and operator to the horizontal direction in the top rail. Typically, this part is a pulley or a curved piece of plastic with a groove or eyelet. Either type of part is fixed just inside the corner key of the insulated glass spacer. When a curved piece of plastic is used, with time, both the cords and the curved piece of plastic become worn or frayed. Another problem is the frictional resistance between the cord and the plastic, especially after the cord and plastic piece become worn. A pulley overcomes the friction and wear problems, but is more difficult to install or assemble. With either type of part, the assembler must thread the cords through the part during manufacture or assembly of the blind.
The present invention overcomes the noted problems by providing an IG assembly having (1) an operator trapped between an exterior frame and the exterior glass surface and (2) a pulley integral with an IG spacer corner key.
In a first aspect of the invention, the operator includes a leg trapped between the IG frame and the glass. The operator is slidably operable on the glass assembly even with the leg so trapped. Preferably, the secured leg is L-shaped to prevent inadvertent removal of the operator. The sliding interlock between the operator and the frame assists in continual magnetic cooperation of the operator and the interior follower.
In a second aspect of the invention, one of the insulated glass spacer corner keys includes an integral pulley for the blind cords. Preferably, the pulley is a pin secured to the corner key. As the window is assembled, the cords are placed in position before the pin is inserted into the key. This eliminates the need to thread the cords through the pulleys, thereby reducing installation time. Further preferably, the pulley shaft is smooth and spins freely in the key to reduce wear on the cords.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings.